Refrigerator having foreign matter blocking function

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function. The refrigerator includes: a screen member detachably coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber; and a coupling member which is disposed on the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber and to which the screen member is coupled. The screen member has a function of preventing foreign matter such as fruit flies from entering the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber. Since the screen member is configured to be easily attachable to and detachable from the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber, it ensures ease of cleaning and use.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0060978, filed May 29, 2018, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function. More particularly, the present invention related to a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking device having a function of preventing foreign matter such as fruit flies from breaking into a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber from above an upper end of a door of the refrigerating chamber, the foreign matter blocking device having an easily attachable and detachable structure, thereby ensuring ease of cleaning and use.

2. Description of the Background Art

A refrigerator is a machine for storing various foods freshly. Since a refrigerator for use at home was introduced in the 1900s, much research and development has been continuously performed on refrigerators for improvement in food storage capability and user convenience.

A refrigerator generally includes a refrigerating chamber which is maintained at a temperature lower than the room temperature so as to maintain freshness of food without freezing the food, and a freezing chamber which is maintained at a freezing temperature so as to freeze food or to store frozen food.

Typically, a refrigerator is equipped with both a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber. Such refrigerators can be categorized depending on the locations of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber into: top-mount refrigerators in which a freezing chamber is mounted on top of a refrigerating chamber, bottom-mount refrigerators in which a freezing chamber is mounted under a refrigerating chamber, side-by-side refrigerators in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are located side by side, (i.e., on the left side and the right side, respectively, or in reverse); and French-door refrigerators configured such that a refrigerating chamber is opened and closed by a pair of doors and a freezing chamber is opened to and closed by a sliding door configured to slide in an anterior-and-posterior direction.

Among them, a top mount refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is the most cost effective and has a basic function as a refrigerator. Referring to FIG. 1, the top mount refrigerator 10 includes a freezing chamber 12 mounted on the upper side and a refrigerating compartment 22 mounted on the lower side, respectively.

The top mount refrigerators 10 have a problem that fruit flies or the like frequently break into a refrigerating chamber from above an upper end of a refrigerating chamber door 24 and dead fruit flies are accumulated on the shelf of an upper storage compartment 26, which is aesthetically unpleasing and causes hygienic problems. Further, in a case where the shelf of the upper storage compartment of the refrigerating chamber is provided with cold air holes, contamination attributable to fruit flies spreads throughout all of the door storage compartments of the refrigerating chamber.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a refrigerator which can solve the above-mentioned problems.

DOCUMENT OF RELATED ART Patent Document

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2005-0100134 (Published Oct. 28, 2005)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems occurring in the related art and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function of preventing fruit flies or other flying insects from entering a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function implemented by a foreign matter blocking device which can be easily and conveniently mounted and unmounted, thereby enabling ease of cleaning.

It is to be understood that the objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned ones, and other objects which are not mentioned above can be understood from the following description by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

The features of the present invention for achieving the objects described above and for performing characteristic functions of the present invention are as follows.

A refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function according to the present invention includes: a screen member detachably coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber and a coupling member to which the screen member is coupled and which is provided on the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the screen member may have a flat plate body and extensions vertically extending downward at both longitudinal ends of the flat plate body, respectively.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic material may be embedded in a portion of the screen member, and the coupling member may be a magnet, so that the screen member may be coupled to the coupling member by magnetic force.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the screen member includes: a first portion formed to have the same shape as the upper end plate of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber; a first inclined portion obliquely extending downward at a predetermined inclination angle from an edge of the first surface; and a second inclined portion obliquely extending upward at a predetermined inclination angle from an edge of the first inclined portion.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the screen member may include: a first portion formed to have the same shape as a top surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment so as to be coupled to the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber, a first bent portion extending downward in a curved manner from an edge of the first portion; and a second bent portion extending upward in a curved manner from an edge of the first bend portion.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the screen member may have a plurality of through holes, and the coupling member may include a plurality of protrusions protruding from a surface of the upper end frame of the compartment door of the refrigerating chamber so as to pass through the respective through holes of the screen member when the screen member is coupled to the coupling member.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the screen member may have a plurality of through holes, the coupling member includes a plurality of threaded holes formed in the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber, and the screen member and the coupling member are coupled by a plurality of screws.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a screen member configured to be coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber and composed of a body portion and a mounting portion protruding from an edge of the body portion in a widthwise direction of the body portion; and a coupling member which is provided on the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber so as to be coupled with the screen member.

Preferably, the mounting portion may have an annular shape and the coupling member may be a protrusion protruding from a surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber.

Preferably, the protrusion may include a first portion protruding from the surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber and having a first diameter, a second portion protruding from the first portion and having a second diameter greater than the first diameter, and a cutout portion formed to pass through at least a part of a center portion of each of the first portion and the second portion.

Preferably, the refrigerator may further include extensions vertically extending downward from both ends of the screen member.

A refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function according to the present invention can prevent a foreign matter such as the fruit flies from entering a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator.

In addition, the refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function according to the present invention can prevent foreign substances such as fruit flies, which have entered a storage compartment of the refrigerating chamber, from entering a door compartment in the refrigerating chamber.

In addition, the refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, according to the present invention, includes a foreign matter blocking device having a detachable structure, so that the cleaning of the device is convenient and easy.

In addition, the refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, according to the present invention, has a structure and shape that facilitates cleaning of storage compartments or a door compartment in a refrigerating chamber.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned above also can be dearly recognized by those skilled in the art from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more dearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a general top-mount refrigerator,

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, according to one embodiment of the present invention:

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a screen member according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a screen member according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line B-B′ in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a screen member according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view of a screen member according to a yet further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8A is a view of a screen member of a foreign matter blocking device for a refrigerator, according to a yet further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which a screen member is coupled to a coupling member, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates state in which a screen member is coupled to a coupling member, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a state in which a screen member is coupled to a coupling member, according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a view illustrating a state in which a screen member is coupled to a coupling member, according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 12A in which the screen member is coupled to the coupling member, and

FIG. 13 is a view of a screen member according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, the specific structural or functional descriptions for exemplary embodiments according to the concept of the present invention are merely for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes to the exemplary embodiments are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

Terms used in the specification. “first”, “second” etc. can be used to discriminate one component from another component, but the order or priority of the components are not limited by the terms unless specifically stated. Accordingly, a first component in an embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment, and similarly, a second component in an embodiment may be referred to as a first component in another embodiment, only for the purpose of discrimination of one component from another component, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined based on the concept of the present invention.

In the present disclosure, it ill be understood that when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another component, one component can be directly connected or coupled to another component, or intervening components may be present therebetween. In contrast, it should be understood that when a component is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another component there are no intervening elements present between the components. Further, the terms used herein to describe a relationship between components, for example, “between”, “directly between”, “adjacent”, or “directly adjacent” should be interpreted in the same manner as those described above.

Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise”, “include”, “have”, etc. when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations of them but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof.

Hereinbelow, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to the present disclosure, a refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, includes: a screen member detachably coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber, and a coupling member to which the screen member is coupled and which is disposed on a surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a screen member 30 is coupled to a surface 28 of an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber door 24. The surface 28 is a top surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment formed to protrudes inward from an inside surface of the refrigerating chamber door 24 by a predetermined thickness. The coupling members are provided on the surface 28 so that the screen member 30 can be attached to the surface 28. Although the coupling members 50 are illustrated to have a circular shape in FIGS. 2 and 3, the form of the coupling members 50 may not be limited thereto. The coupling members may be implemented in various forms, such as magnet members 150, holes 250, protrusions 350, or cavities 450 which will be described later.

The corners and edges of each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 according to various embodiments nay be rounded to provide good appearance and to ensure safety. The material of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 according to various embodiments is not particularly limited. The screen members 30, 130, and 230 according to various embodiments may be made of plastic or the like for ease of use, namely, for ease of cleaning, transportation, and detachment.

Each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 has a first portion 320 that is coupled to the top surface 28 of the upper end flame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber. The first portion 320 has the same shape as the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment so as to be well mated with the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment.

Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 5B, each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 according to various embodiments has a ditch portion. For example, the ditch portion may be U-shaped, V-shaped, arc-shaped, or the like.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4A, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ditch portion 1340 is defined by two inclined portions, a first inclined portion 1360 and a second inclined portion 1380, that differ in inclination direction and inclination angle. The first inclined portion 1360 obliquely extends downward at a predetermined inclination angle from an edge of the first portion 320 and the second inclined portion 1380 obliquely extends upward from an edge of the first inclined portion 1360 at a predetermined inclination angle. That is, the screen member 30, 130, and 230 each may have a substantially V-shaped cross section. In this case, a foreign matter can be accumulated at the boundary between the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380, so that the foreign matter can be easily removed and transported, thereby facilitating cleaning. For example, the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380 may be symmetrically formed with respect to a vertical direction. That is, the widths of the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380 may be equal. In another example, the widths of the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380 may be different. That is, the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380 may be asymmetrically formed with respect to the vertical direction. In both cases, it is preferable that the inclination angle of each of the first inclined portion 1360 and the second inclined portion 1380 with respect to a horizontal direction is within a range of ±1 to ±15° so as not to interfere with the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber, which is installed under the screen member.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a ditch portion 2340 is defined by a first bent portion 2360 that extends downward in a curved manner and a second bent portion 2380 that extends upward in a curved manner from an edge of the first bend portion 2360. In this case, the ditch portion 2340 takes a concave-curved shape or a substantially circular arc shape. This shape allows foreign matter such as fruit flies to be easily accumulated in the ditch portion, thereby facilitating transportation of the accumulated foreign matter and cleaning of the screen member. The first bent portion 2360 and the second bent section 2380 may have the same width. Alternatively, either one of the first and second bent portions 2360 and 2380 may have a shorter width than the other.

Each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 may include through holes 36 for coupling with the coupling members 50, as illustrated in FIG. 6. More specifically, the through holes 36 are formed in the first portion 320 of the screen member. Although there is no limitation on the number of through holes formed in the first portion 320, it is preferable to include at least two through holes in order to firmly fix each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230. The coupling of the screen member with the coupling members 50 will be described later.

According to a further embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7, each of the screen member 30, 130, and 230 includes mounting portions 38 protruding from an edge of the body portion of the screen member for easy coupling with the coupling members 50. More specifically, the mounting portions 38 protrude in a widthwise direction from one edge of the first portion 320 of the screen member. Each of the mounting portions 38 has an annular shape in which a hole is formed in the center thereof. The number of mounting portions 38 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least two mounting portions 38 are formed so as to firmly fix the screen member.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 has press-fitting portions 40 at a lower surface thereof. Each of the press-fitting portions 40 includes a fixing portion 42 and a contraction portion 44 for adjusting the thickness of the fitting portion 40. The number of the press-fitting portions is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least two press-fitting portions are formed to firmly fix the screen member.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the coupling member 50 formed on the top surface 28, and various embodiments of a method of coupling the screen member 30, 130, or 230 to the coupling member will be described below.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the coupling member provided on the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber may be a magnet member 150. Each of the screen members 30, 130, and 230 is provided with a magnet member 46 which is disposed on one surface of the screen member or is embedded in the first portion 320 of the screen member. The magnet member 46 embedded in the first portion 320 and the magnet member 150 are aligned to be coupled to each other by magnetic force. In this case, the screen member can be firmly attached to and easily detached from the coupling members on the upper end frame of the door compartment, and no coupling marks remain after the screen member is detached from the upper end frame of the door compartment.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the coupling members may be circular holes 250 formed to have a predetermined depth in the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber. The inner circumferential surface of the hole 250 is a threaded surface. The holes 250 are formed in alignment with the through holes 36 formed in the screen member 30, 130, or 230. The screen member 30, 130 or 230 is fastened to the upper end frame of the door compartment by fastening members 60 having a threaded outer circumferential surface.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the coupling members may be protrusions 350 protruding from the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber. The protrusions 350 are illustrated in an enlarged side view of FIG. 11. Each of the protrusions 350 includes: a first portion 360 protruding from the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment and having a first diameter, a second portion 370 protruding from the first portion 360 and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and a cut-out portion 380 passing through the center of at least a part of each of the first portion 360 and the second portion 370. The protrusions 350 engage with the through holes 36 formed in the screen member 30, 130, or 230. According to a further embodiment, the protrusions 350 may engage with the respective mounting portions 38 of the screen member 30, 130, or 230. The diameter of the through hole 36 or the inner diameter of the mounting portion 38 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second portion 370. Therefore, when the through hole 36 or the mounting portion 38 is engaged with the protrusion 350, the second portion 370 is first press-fitted into the through hole 36 or the mounting portion 38 and then advanced to pass through the through hole 36 or the mounting portion 38 and then the first portion 360 is engaged with the through hole 36 or the mounting portion 38. Due to this structure of the protrusion 350, detachment and attachment of the screen member to the door compartment are facilitated and the attached screen member is not easily accidentally removed from the door compartment.

Also, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, the coupling member may be a cavity 450 which is recessed by a certain depth from the top surface 28 of the upper end frame of the door compartment. As illustrated in FIG. 12B, a fitting portion 40 contracts when it enters an upper cavity 460 which is an upper portion of the cavity 450 and expands when it reaches a lower cavity 470 which is a lower portion of the cavity 450 and has a larger cross-sectional area than the upper cavity 460, so that the fitting portion 40 can be locked in the cavity 450.

Referring to FIG. 13, according to a further embodiment of the present invention, extensions 48 vertically extend downward from respective ends of the screen member 30, 130, or 230. The extensions 48 ensure attachment of the screen member 30, 130, or 230 to the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber. The extensions 48 are made of plastic, and magnetic members may be embedded in the extensions 48 to enhance the force for supporting the screen member at the side surfaces of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, the refrigerator comprising: a screen member detachably coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber, and a coupling member which is disposed on the upper end frame of the door compartment and to which the screen member is coupled.
 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the screen member includes a flat plate body and extensions extending vertically downward at both ends of the flat plate body.
 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic material is embedded in a portion of the screen member and the coupling member is a magnet member, so that the screen member is coupled to the coupling member by magnetic force.
 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the screen member comprises: a first portion formed to have the same shape as the upper end frame of the door frame of the refrigerating chamber so as to be easily coupled to the upper end frame of the door compartment; a first inclined portion obliquely extending downward at a predetermined angle from an edge of the first portion; and a second inclined portion obliquely extending upward at a predetermined angle from an edge of the first inclined portion.
 5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the screen member comprises: a first portion formed to have the same shape as the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber so as to be easily coupled to the upper end frame of the door compartment; a first bent portion bending downward in a curved manner from an edge of the first portion; and a second bend portion extending upward in a curved manner from an edge of the first bend portion.
 6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the screen member has a plurality of through holes, and wherein the coupling member includes a plurality of protrusions protruding from an upper surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment and configured to engage with the through holes formed in the screen member.
 7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the screen member has a plurality of through holes, wherein the coupling member includes a plurality of threaded holes formed in the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber, and wherein the screen member is coupled to the coupling member b, a plurality of screws inserted into the threaded holes via the through holes.
 8. A refrigerator having a foreign matter blocking function, the refrigerator comprising: a screen member configured to be coupled to an upper end frame of a door compartment of a refrigerating chamber and provided with a mounting portion protruding from an edge of a body portion of the screen member in a widthwise direction, and a coupling member disposed on the upper end frame of the door compartment and configured such that the screen member is coupled to the coupling member.
 9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the mounting portion has an annular shape, and the coupling member is a protrusion protruding from a top surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment of the refrigerating chamber.
 10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the protrusion comprises: a first portion protruding from the top surface of the upper end frame of the door compartment and having a first diameter; a second portion protruding from the first portion and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and a cutout portion configured to pass through at least a part of a center of each of the first portion and the second portion.
 11. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising extensions vertically extending downward from respective ends of the body portion of the screen member. 